Chapter 4 - The Montgomery LegacyA deep, commanding male voice came over the phone line. It was Arthur Montgomery, a billionaire real estate developer and one of the most feared men in the state business sector.
“Listen to me, whoever you are,” Arthur Montgomery said sharply, his voice dripping with frustration. “I don't know what kind of administrative dispute is going on with the island management, but I paid two million dollars for this venue today. My son is standing at the altar in front of two hundred high-profile guests. You have police officers locking down the main lawn!”
“Mr. Montgomery,” I said, my voice ice-cold. “I am Claire Reed. The owner of the Blackwood Island Resort.”
There was a sudden, sharp pause on the other end of the line. Arthur Montgomery was no fool; he knew my name from the corporate tech circles, though he had never connected me to the disgraced elder daughter my family rarely spoke about.
“Claire Reed?” Arthur stammered, his confident tone faltering. “The CEO of Reed Global Tech?”
“The very same,” I replied. “And the eight-year-old child who was just airlifted to Saint Jude Trauma Center with a fractured wrist and cracked ribs is my daughter.”
Silence stretched across the phone line for three long seconds.
“Your sister... Ashley told us the girl tripped over a lawn lamp,” Arthur said slowly, his voice dropping into a dangerous register.
“My sister threw my daughter over a six-foot stone ledge because Lily stepped on her wedding train,” I stated plainly. “I have the high-definition security footage recorded from three separate angles. The local sheriff is currently reviewing it in the security office.”
Over the phone, I heard Arthur take a slow, heavy breath. He was a man who cared about power, but above all, he cared about his family’s public reputation.
“Where is the footage right now?” Arthur asked quietly.
“In the hands of the police, and on my private server,” I said. “Your son is about to marry a woman who attempted to murder an eight-year-old child to keep her dress clean. If you try to cover this up, Mr. Montgomery, I will release the footage to every major news network in the country before the sun sets today.”
“I don't cover up crimes for unstable people,” Arthur said coldly. “Hold on.”
Through the speaker, I heard the muffled sound of Arthur pulling the phone away from his ear, followed by his booming voice echoing across the marble lobby of the resort villa.
“Carter! Step away from that girl right now!” Arthur ordered fiercely.
“Dad, what are you talking about?” Carter’s confused voice drifted through the microphone. “The guests are waiting! Ashley says it was just an accident—”
“The owner of this island is Claire Reed, you fool!” Arthur roared. “Her daughter is in the trauma unit! Ashley threw the child off the terrace, and it’s all on camera!”
A loud gasp echoed through the lobby as the wedding guests, who had gathered near the entrance, overheard Arthur’s roar.
“What?!” Carter yelled, his voice cracking. “Ashley, is this true?!”
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Then came my sister Ashley’s shrill, panicked voice. “She’s lying! Claire has always been jealous of me! She’s trying to ruin my life because I’m marrying a Montgomery and she’s just a single mother!”
“Sheriff!” Arthur Montgomery’s voice rang out clear as a bell through the phone line. “Arrest that woman immediately.”
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